Brassieres are worn by nearly all women of the Western world. Though whether the breast requires support to prevent sagging has been debated, women often seek to avoid the unwanted attention that arises from being braless in public. Bras prevent lateral and vertical movement, may provide nipple coverage, prevent accidental exposure of the breast, and allow a woman to create a desired breast shape or size.
Large breasts require more support than small breasts due to their size and a center of mass that is further from the rib cage. In order to provide the additional structure needed, the underwire bra was developed that incorporates a wire that is relatively inflexible. Often the wire extends from one cup to the other, joined by cloth and or man-made materials, to prevent independent side-to-side movement of the breasts, or one wire per cup supporting each breast and joined at the sternum.
Women's high-fashion trends over the past decade or so have been marked by an increase in the amount of skin that is revealed. This is especially true with evening gowns and cocktail dresses. With each more daring design, women are faced with the task of finding a brassiere that performs the task of providing support and a desired amount of coverage, while remaining hidden by the garment.
As such, fashion trends often give rise to corresponding undergarment innovations. Dresses that leave the shoulders bare, or have “spaghetti straps” spurred the invention of the strapless bra. The use of sheer material resulted in bras constructed of “nude” material—fabric colors that closely match the skin tone of the user.
Dresses that have plunging necklines and/or backs that drape down to the lower back have proven particularly challenging to bra designers. If the neckline plunges past the sternum, the connection between the cups of the bra becomes visible. Solutions to this problem have included a U-shaped connecting wire, or a clear plastic connector. Bras that have a connector in front require a strap that extends around the wearers back to counteract the forces placed on the cups by the front connector.
When the dress has a back that drapes down to the lower back, the bra typically has a back strap that crosses low on the back and also includes a strap that extends around the neck of the wearer and is either hidden by the wearer's hair or corresponding dress fabric.
Recently, daring dresses have become popular that incorporate both a plunging neckline, sometimes down to the navel, and a draping back that leaves most of the woman's back exposed. This style has heretofore left the woman with few choices. She is faced with using adhesive, independent cups, adhesive nipple covers, two-sided dress tape, or wearing nothing under the dress.
The adhesive, independent cups provide a minimal amount of support but may give a desired shape to the breast, provide nipple coverage, and have a tacky outer surface that reduces the risk of accidental exposure. The adhesive nipple covers provide nipple coverage and may be used in conjunction with two-sided tape to prevent accidental exposure, but provide no breast support. Using two-sided tape alone may prevent accidental exposure but allows the nipples to be seen through the dress if the dress fabric is thin. All of these three adhesive products are problematic in that they lose their adhesive qualities if they become damp. Thus, using them in warm and/or humid conditions is risky. They are also disposable or, at best, reusable only a few times.
The use of adhesive, independent cups, as stated above, is the only present solution that provides any support. Because these cups are applied directly to the breast, and have no connection to each other, they do little to control side-to-side movement of the breasts. This is typically not a problem for women with small breasts but large breasts that sway laterally, and independent of each other, tend to gain unwanted attention. As such, there is a need for a more supportive brassiere that can be worn under a dress with an open back and plunging necklines. There is a especially a need for a brassiere that remains hidden by such a dress while preventing lateral movement, regardless of breast size.